CSS Flexbox Generator

Visually build CSS flexbox layouts with live preview and instant code output.

Container

Items (3/8)

1
grow:0 shrink:1 basis:auto
2
grow:0 shrink:1 basis:auto
3
grow:0 shrink:1 basis:auto

Live Preview

Click an item to edit its properties
1
2
3

Generated CSS

Container CSS 
/* Container */
.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: row;
  flex-wrap: nowrap;
  justify-content: flex-start;
  align-items: stretch;
  align-content: stretch;
  gap: 8px;
}
Item CSS 
/* Select an item to see its CSS */
Full CSS (all items) 
/* Container */
.flex-container {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: row;
  flex-wrap: nowrap;
  justify-content: flex-start;
  align-items: stretch;
  align-content: stretch;
  gap: 8px;
}

/* Item 1 */
.flex-item-1 {
  flex-grow: 0;
  flex-shrink: 1;
  flex-basis: auto;
  align-self: auto;
  order: 0;
}

/* Item 2 */
.flex-item-2 {
  flex-grow: 0;
  flex-shrink: 1;
  flex-basis: auto;
  align-self: auto;
  order: 0;
}

/* Item 3 */
.flex-item-3 {
  flex-grow: 0;
  flex-shrink: 1;
  flex-basis: auto;
  align-self: auto;
  order: 0;
}

How to use

  • • Adjust container properties in the left panel — the preview updates instantly
  • • Click + Add Item to add flex items (max 8)
  • • Click any item in the list or preview to edit its individual properties
  • • Click ✕ on an item to remove it
  • • Copy the generated CSS and paste it into your project

About the CSS Flexbox Generator

The CSS Flexbox Generator is a visual layout builder that lets you configure every flexbox property — on both the container and individual items — and instantly see the result in a live preview. Adjust flex-direction, justify-content, align-items, flex-wrap, gap, and more without writing a single line of CSS by hand.

For each flex item you can independently control flex-grow, flex-shrink, flex-basis, align-self, and order. The tool generates clean, copy-ready CSS for the container, the selected item, and all items combined — ready to paste directly into your project.

How to Build a Flexbox Layout Online

  1. Use the Container panel on the left to set flex-direction, flex-wrap, justify-content, align-items, align-content, and gap.
  2. Click + Add Item to add flex children (up to 8 items) to the container.
  3. Click any item in the item list or in the live preview to select it and reveal its individual property controls.
  4. Adjust flex-grow to let an item absorb available free space proportionally.
  5. Adjust flex-shrink to control how much an item shrinks when the container is too small.
  6. Set flex-basis to define the item's initial size before growing or shrinking (e.g. auto, 200px, 50%).
  7. Use align-self to override the container's align-items for a single item.
  8. Change order to reposition items visually without changing the HTML source order.
  9. Copy the Container CSS, Item CSS, or Full CSS using the buttons in the Generated CSS panel.

Common Use Cases for CSS Flexbox

  • Navigation bars — Use justify-content: space-between to push a logo left and nav links right in a single flex row.
  • Centering content — Combine justify-content: center and align-items: center on a flex container for perfect horizontal and vertical centring.
  • Equal-width columns — Set flex-grow: 1 on all items to distribute available space evenly across any number of columns.
  • Responsive card grids — Use flex-wrap: wrap with a fixed flex-basis so cards reflow naturally from multi-column to single-column on smaller screens.
  • Sticky footers — Apply flexbox to a full-height page wrapper with flex-direction: column and flex-grow: 1 on the main content to push the footer to the bottom.
  • Form layouts — Align labels and inputs side by side or stack them vertically using flex-direction and align-items: baseline.
  • Sidebar layouts — Give the sidebar a fixed flex-basis and the main content flex-grow: 1 so it fills the remaining space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CSS Flexbox?

Flexbox (Flexible Box Layout) is a CSS layout model designed for arranging items in a single dimension — either a row or a column. It provides powerful alignment and space-distribution controls that make it far easier to build responsive layouts than older techniques like floats and inline-block.

What is the difference between justify-content and align-items?

justify-content distributes items along the main axis (horizontally in a row, vertically in a column). align-items aligns items along the cross axis (perpendicularly). Think of justify as "along the flow" and align as "across the flow".

What do flex-grow, flex-shrink, and flex-basis mean?

flex-grow defines how much an item expands to fill free space (0 = don't grow). flex-shrink defines how much it contracts when space is tight (0 = don't shrink). flex-basis sets the item's starting size before any growing or shrinking occurs. Together they form the flex shorthand.

When should I use align-content vs align-items?

align-items controls alignment within a single line of items. align-content only takes effect when flex-wrap: wrap is set and there are multiple lines — it distributes space between the lines themselves.

What does the order property do?

The order property changes the visual rendering order of a flex item without altering the HTML source order. Items with lower order values appear first. The default is 0; negative values move items earlier in the sequence.

What is the difference between Flexbox and CSS Grid?

Flexbox is a one-dimensional layout system — it works along a single axis (row or column) at a time. CSS Grid is two-dimensional — it controls both rows and columns simultaneously. Use Flexbox for component-level layouts (nav bars, cards, form rows) and Grid for page-level or complex grid structures.

Is Flexbox supported in all browsers?

Yes. Flexbox has full support across all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, with no vendor prefixes required for current browser targets. It is safe to use in all production web projects today.